Something I have been researching about recently is something a bit more unusual. The links between spirituality and women's monthly “curse”, a period.
An online friend of mine recently did her wiccan self dedication ritual and she told me her period had been late but suddenly turned up that day, this is what got me wondering about the spiritual significance of a period so I started doing some research on it.
The most obvious link is it with the moon. Our periods follow a monthly pattern and so does the moon. Wiccans use the cycle of the moon a lot in their spiritual work, so this makes a period a lot more significant. In Wicca, menstruation is seen as a rite of passage and should be celebrated.
In ancient times, it was noticed that a woman’s monthly flow was the only time apart from childbirth when blood was shed without wounding and hence regarded as magickal and special. Many traditions including Taoism, used to mix menstrual blood with red wine to increase spiritual power.
I know you are probably thinking Yuck! But the only reason we think that these days is because what once was regarded as an almost cosmic event has been distorted in such a way we feel it’s dirty and awful. Let’s face it, if we had been brought up in a society where we looked at it in the opposite light, we would probably really enjoy the time of our periods.
Women did used to do blood sacrifice but not in the awful way portrayed today. They used to give their menstrual blood freely to nourish the earth and no one was harmed.
All in all, a period if seen in another light, can be the most spiritual and creative time of the month for a woman. So we should learn not to suppress it, but enjoy the natural magick we have been given.
Blessed Be
RE: menstruation and magick
This reply is a little late, but I totally agree about menstruation being spiritual and creative. Ive learned over the past couple of years to welcome my period and to use it as a time to honour myself and the earth. It reminds me that despite what goes on around me in this messed up world of ours, I will always be a child of nature and connected to the earth. Im in touch with many women with similar views, and Ive read many positive stories of using menstrual blood in rituals. I will probably get around to doing it myself when the time is right. Thanks for your post, its great to see others helping to readdress the positive view of menstruation.
Incidently I am part of a yahoo group that is very 'period positive' and occasionally people post similar stories and accounts, if you are interested, just let me know and I'll give you the details.
xxxFlame7
RE: menstruation and magick
yes flame7 I'd love to know more about the group. I don't know if you have heard of it but there is a product called the mooncup ( i think) which I am waiting for, it's something you can collect your menstrual blood in instead of using tampons, pads etc, and lasts up to 10 years apparently!
RE: menstruation and magick
Yes, Ive been using a mooncup for a few months, I absolutely love it!!!! The yahoo group can be found at
There is another group that specifically discusses menstrual cups (mooncups, keepers, and divacups). There is some good advice for 'beginners' here:
Hope to see you there 😉
Flame7
RE: menstruation and magick
....and a healthy alternative considering that tests have revealed [a popular brand] of tampons use a small quantity of asbestos in their product.
RE: menstruation and magick
Taoism also use the monthly cycle as healing energy . . havent unsderstood it all yet but it certianly transforms the flow to flowing chi !!
RE: menstruation and magick
Some great stuff here - I think periods really are magical and should be treated with respect. They can be used quite powerfully. One of the ways I celebrate my womanhood is by using this time to tune into myself, spring clean my mind, and listen to my guiding spirit and voices of my ancestors (psychic power is said to heighten at this time which is certainly true for me). It seems such a shame to me that many women today regard their periods as a curse - I wonder if it is this sort of thinking that has contributed to so many gynaecological problems.
I went through a stage of soaking my used towels in a jar of water which I then used to water my garden - it felt humbling and sacred to give back to the earth from my own body. (The high nitrogen content is good for the plants but I recommend not putting it on edible plants).
A thought on the mooncup - Although I like the durability and minimal impact on the environment aspects of the mooncup I question the use of internal absorbers at all - I think the walls of the vagina must be quite grateful for the nourishing blood flowing down them once a month!
RE: menstruation and magick
I'm not sure if this is a coincidence or not but as my interest in spirituality and Moon lore has grown over the years so my menstrual cycle has become more in tune with the moon. Now my period coincides with the New Moon - a period of new beginnings - and this certainly applies to my life right now. But a couple of months ago when I was seeing the fruition of things long been in motion I found my period coincided with the Full Moon. So it tends to gradually move around to fit with a different Moon phase and then it stays with that phase for a couple of months. This then often reminds me that I too am a part of nature with the same ebbs and flows in my life as in my body.
TeriS